<p>Son has lived in a sheltered, cul-de-sac suburban community most of his life. Of course he has to spread his wings in college but I'm trying to think of important things to teach/expose him to so that he becomes more street smart.</p>
<p>To start--he went to a concert in nearby large city w/friends & stayed over in apt of a college student. By the end of the visit he was dizzy and felt like passing out. Turned out he hadn't eaten (wasn't hungry when they stopped for food & friend's apt was all vegan food!).
1) Lesson--make sure you keep yourself fed (passing out on public sidewalk---not good).</p>
<p>Son also wanted to go home earlier than others & was going to take subway alone (ultimately went w/a friend)
2) I said a good rule is always travel together w/at least one other person.</p>
<p>Son was barfed on at concert (!).
3) Good rule (he formulated this)--wear old shoes & clothes to concerts!!</p>
<p>Unfortunate experience, but start with know who you are going with. There are friends and friends. Sounds like he did not know them that well. Important, don’t look like a victim, don’t stare, you see weird stuff you need to take in stride. Don’t be that picky, vegan is just super veggie, must have been something to eat, piece of fruit, etc.. Depending on the concert any manner of behavior may go on, but some groups seem to generate more problems than others.</p>
<p>Son went to Spain with his high school Spanish class. His teachers told them to always carry some money in your pocket when in a high risk area. After a rash of campus robberies, he has remembered what they taught him. We’ve had two separate “robberies gone bad” at our local university, where both victims were shot. After handing over the money, they each did something unexpected. One ran and the other simply turned his back so the robber couldn’t see what he was doing.</p>
<p>I’m not convinced that this one is practical. It’s preferable for major trips, but logistically unlikely riding on the subway or commuter rail.</p>
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<p>Yes, this is a big one. If you happen to be walking by in a sketchy neighborhood, and there’s a drug deal across the street from you (I have been in this position, several times), you are a lot safer walking by nonchalantly than stopping and staring (or worse, saying “Oh wow, is that a drug deal?” loudly to your friend).</p>
<p>A few more:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Deescalate. When a hostile stranger is in your face because you accidentally bumped into them getting off the subway, it is not the time to be proving how macho you are.</p></li>
<li><p>Stay hydrated. I find this one harder than staying fed (I like food too much to forget to eat), and disregarding it can have consequences that are just as bad.</p></li>
<li><p>Be aware of your surroundings. When you’re walking down a downtown back street at night, it is not a good time to have iPod earphones stuck in your ears. Or even to be daydreaming. Use your peripheral vision and give people coming up behind you a wide berth to clear you.</p></li>
<li><p>Don’t leave your drink out of your sight at parties.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>These are great, great tips. Forgot about ‘keeping ipod earbuds out’ – that’s something son is very likely to do. Will mention it to him. In fact, going to show this whole thread to him.</p>
<p>I hope it might be of help to other kids who are going off alone for the first time.</p>
<p>Along with not looking like a victim and being alert to your surroundings, I’d add one thing we’ve always stressed with D and S1 (suburban kids who each began taking day trips into the city with friends, in early h.s.): Don’t just follow your friends. Know where you’re going, and how to get there, and know how to get back. </p>
<p>More specifics of not looking like a victim or an easy target: If you feel lost or turned around, don’t let on: Walk confidently ahead, scanning for the next bright/open/safe place to go in and ask directions or consult your map. </p>
<p>Know where your wallet is, and learn how to keep your bag/wallet secure without looking like you’re clutching it in fear. </p>
<p>Learn to look angry rather than nervous. (The default slightly sullen expression of your average teenager can come in handy here. :D)</p>
<p>Lol, Harriet, at the default sullen expression. That’s the one I’m always trying to prompt son to dispense with..but maybe it could be useful.</p>
<p>Son also learned the ‘don’t just follow your friends’ concept when attending another concert in nearby big city. The group of guys walked for 9 blocks in the wrong direction, straight toward the worst area of the city (think: “another murder today on XXX Avenue”). When son got new phone, I insisited he get GPS on it (cost very little).</p>
<p>When I was a student in the city I always carried my money and cards separately. No big deal to lose money, but a pain in the neck to lose ID. </p>
<p>Also if you do get mugged take a good look at your attackers. The one time I was faced with a police line-up I couldn’t remember what anyone looked like. I could still describe the weapons though. :(</p>
<p>For study abroad: Make color photocopies of your passport and pack one in a separate bag than your actual passport, and give the other to your MOTHER.</p>
<p>I swear my husband never learned any of this. He has no sense of having turned the corner into a dicey neighborhood, or whether there may be questionable characters around.</p>
<p>Great tips. That passport duplication would be invaluable, I’d think! Map of subway could be super-useful (less likely to be heading fast in the opposite direction you want to go). Good idea to carry ID in a separate pocket (from wallet)-and maybe a few bucks, for cabfare home.</p>
<p>My hub is also much, much more carefree re: safety than I am. However, he’s a 6’ 2" man. He doesn’t always see that a woman (or clueless teen who is not as tall/imposing) might have a few more things to worry about. I’ve been accused of “not trusting” people. I think I have an exceptionally sunny outlook and often chat w/strangers. But, I’m also realistic (and former criminal attorney…!!!).</p>
<p>Maybe you can be a bit more oblivious if you’re big. My husband weighs about 100 lbs more than I do. Size wouldn’t keep an armed person from harming him, but I’m probably the easier target for many criminals.</p>
<p>Be aware of your surroundings since street crime sometimes happens in the nice neighborhoods, too, since the bad guys have transport.</p>
<p>My S and a friend, both HS juniors, were robbed Friday night as they walked back from the Subway store, near a well lit and travelled street as they went back to friend’s home in a good neighborhood.</p>
<p>They were smart enough to remember the BIG lesson: possessions can be replaced, your health/life, not. They turned over their money, cell phones and iPod.</p>
<p>Things they have learned since then: Info the police will want to know, and also the HS since they said the six guys looked around their age. So they looked at the HS photos. They’ve also learned to leave the cell phone in service, since stupid bad guys will use the phone and law enforcement can sometimes work with the phone company to triangulate a call to locate the perps.</p>
<p>When going someplace new, use Mapquest or something like Google Earth, to become familiar with the destination area. Almost all kids have internet access and you can zoom in on an area, you can change the view to satellite or aerial view…so you can see where to park, what streets are one way, in which direction etc. I have used it when going to NYC to find parking garages in the nearby area where I am planning on staying etc. I used it one year to see where the parking was for a college stadium when going to a regional athletic event…how far one would have to walk with chairs etc… it is really a great tool…I print several iterations of maps, from far away and down to the street level when I am traveling on business to new locations. That way I know the name of the street when I have gone too far…etc… never hurts to have a sense of another campus or city.</p>
<p>These tips have been useful when traveling abroad but I’ve also used them in big cities.</p>
<p>If you carry a purse, make sure it has a zipper and place a small safety pin just behind the zipper pull. That way, it cannot be opened as easily by a pickpocket. The same goes for zippered luggage now that you can’t lock them (they do now have TSA approved locks, but not sure how they work in Europe). </p>
<p>Have velcro on non-zippered bags and pockets. It can still be opened by pickpockets, but it’s very hard to do so without making a noise.</p>